Apparatus for the spinning, twisting and winding of thread



Jan. 24, 1961 w. WEBER ETAL 2,969,197

APPARATUS FOR THE SPINNING, TWISTING AND WINDING OF THREAD Filed Nov. 28, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 o o o o 0.0.:

INVENTORS:

WOLFGANG WEBER HERMANN GREIN ATT'YS Jan. 24, 1961 w. WEBER ET AL 7 2,969,197

APPARATUS FOR THE SPINNING, TWISTING AND WINDING OF THREAD Filed Nov. 28, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 H04 ML Q FIG. 5

Q a 0 K23 25 24 Fl G. 6 7 2 2| INVENTORS: WOLFGANG WEBER HERMAN GREIN ATT'YS Jan. 24, 1961 w. WEBER ETAL 2,969,197

APPARATUS FOR THE SPINNING, TWISTING AND WINDING CF THREAD Filed Nov. 28, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS: WOLFGANG WEBER HERMAN GREIN ATT'YSW APPARATUS FOR THE SPINNING, TWISTING AND WINDING F THREAD Wolfgang Weber and Hermann Grein, Remscheid- Lennep, Germany, assignors to Barmer Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft, Wuppertal-Oberbarmen, Germany Filed Nov. 28, 1955, Ser. No. 549,488

Claims priority, application Germany Dec. 1, 1954 6 Claims. (Cl. 242-37) This invention relates to apparatus for the spinning, twisting and winding of thread, particularly artificial thread of fine gauge.

Industries engaged in weaving or the like, for obvious economic reasons, require spooled thread of uniform length. Attempts have been made to supply this need for uniformity of thread length by various methods. Some of these methods involved stopping the spinning, twisting or winding process when the weight or diameter of the wound spool or bobbin reached a calculated amount. Such methods are faulty because variations in thread tension or thread gauge, particularly where fine threads are used, cause substantial ditterences be tween the actual thread lengths and the calculated thread lengths. Methods involving calculated diameters are particularly inadequate since bobbins are generally conical rather than cylindrical and do not. lend themselves to such methods.

Machines have been designed which employ a counter on the winding bobbin to measurethe number of revolutions. When a certain number of revolutions have been counted, calculated to be equivalent to a desired thread length, the machine is stopped automatically. But here again the calculated thread length is in error because the thread lengths per revolution of bobbin increase with each wound layer of thread. The application of such machines to fine viscous rayon thread would particularly accentuate this error.

In another design of such machines, the counter is installed between the supply cop and the winding bobbin and is driven bythe passing thread. The thread has to supply a relatively large amount of rotary power to the multi-geared counter, which results in high thread tension. There is anincreasing, sudden tension on the thread, often approaching its breaking strength, with each ten revolutions of the counter when additional gears are brought into operation. The extreme tensional stress placed on the thread rules out the use of such machines for relatively weak, fine, viscous rayon threads.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a machine for the spinning, twisting and winding of thread which produces a wound bobbin having a predetermined length of thread.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine for the spinning, twisting and winding of thread which produces a wound bobbin having a predetermined length of thread when employing fine thread aswell as when employing coarse thread.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine for the spinning, twisting and winding of thread which produces a Wound bobbin having a predetermined length of thread when employing a conical bobbin as well as when employing bobbins of other shapes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine for the spinning, twisting and winding of thread wherein the speed of rotation of the winding bobbin can be varied with thread tension as to avoid thread breakage.

Patent 0 9 fixed to the thread feeler 7 and extending outwardly ice A further object of the invention is to provide a, take off device for use in a machine for the spinning, twisting and winding of thread which will measure the length of the passing thread and automatically stop said machine when a desired length of thread has been measured.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine for the spinning, twisting and winding of thread which will automatically stop take off of thread in the event of thread breakage.

In accordance with the invention these objects are accomplished by a machine comprising, in combination, a supply cop; a winding bobbin; a take-off device feeding the thread from said cop to said bobbin, said take-off device being operatively associated with a measuring device measuring the length of the passing thread; a driving means drivingly associated with said take-ofi device; and a controllable-speed driving means drivingly associated with said bobbin, said controllable-speed driving means being controlled by the thread tension between said take-ofi device and said winding bobbin. In

ing means becoming respectively operatively associated-- with the bobbin driving means and the take-oft deviceon breakage of the thread between the take-off device and the bobbin.

The invention will be more clearly understood by referenceto the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a schematic front elevational view of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a schematic side elevational view of the ma chine;

Fig. 3 is a detailed front elevational view of a take-olfdevice and counter;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of another form'of take-off device.

Fig. 5 is a detailed side elevation of a mechanism for actuating the brake mechanism inre'sponse to'move ment of the feeler arm in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 6 is a schematic wiring diagram of-thepowe'r circuit for the electricmotor of the machine; and

Fig. 7 is a front elevational view of the embodiment of Fig. 4.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the thread looped around a drive roller 2 of'a take-off device is d'rawn' from a supply cop 3 and fed'to a winding bobbin"4'; Tli'ei thread 1 is wound around thewinding bobbin 4 whichis rotated by a driving means, for instance a motor 5. The speed of the motor 5 is controlled by a regulator 6, for instance a rheostat, which is in turn controlled by a thread feeler 7 pivotally attached to and operatively' associated with the regulator 6. A weight 8 on an arm therefrom at its pivot point, urged by gravity, tendsto pivot the thread feeler 7 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1. The lower end of the thread'feeler 7 bears on the thread 1 between the take-oft device 2 andthe bobbin 4 with a constant'force, in the operative position A. When tension on the thread 1 exceeds the bearing force of the thread feeler 7, the thread feeler 7 moves in a counterclockwisedirection as viewed in Fig. l, actuating the regulato-rf6 which" slows down the motor reducing the winding speed of the bobbin 4 and the tension on the thread 1.

In the event of thread breakage, the thread feeler 7 is urged by gravity to the inoperative position B, actuating a switch 10 which turns ofi the power supplied to the motor 5 and thereby stops the rotation of the winding bobbin 4. In swinging to position B, the thread feeler 7 also aotuates or trips a lever arm 11 pivotally attached to a brake 12 which applies a braking force to the takeoff roller 2 and thereby stops take off of the thread. The brake 12 and lever arm 11 may have enough weight in themselves to provide the braking force on release of lever arm 11 from an overhanging position by the tripping action of thread feeler 7.

The take-off device (Fig. 3) includes a roller 2, around which the thread is looped, mounted on the end of a rotatable shaft 13 and coextensive therewith. Near one extremity of the roller 2 is an encircling groove 14 adapted to receive the brake 12. The roller 2 is rotated by a drive shaft 26 coextensive therewith and coupled thereto by means of magnets 15 inserted in the flanged end 16 of the shaft 26. At or near one extremity of the roller 2 a gear 17 is fixed thereto which drivingly engages a gear 18 fixed to the rotating mechanism of a revolution counter 19. The counter 19 has a switch-actuating means 20 operatively associated therewith which, when a predetermined count is reached (equivalent to a predetermined length of thread) automatically actuates a switch 21 cutting off the power to the electric motor 27 driving the shaft 26 for the take-off device and the driving means 5 for the bobbin.

When thread breakage occurs (see Figs. 1, 2 and 3), the thread feeler 7 swings to position B and actuates the lever arm 11 which applies the brake 12 to the roller 2 overcoming the coupling force of the magnets 15 and stopping the rotation of the roller 2 and the drivingly associated counter 19. In Fig. 5, one braking mechanism operable in response to the pivotal movement of the thread feeler 7 is illustrated. The pivotally mounted arm supporting brake 12 is connected by a universal hinge to arm 11, which is supported on the horizontal arm 32 of a bracket 34. Tension spring 33 urges brake 12 toward the roller 2, and said brake is pressed into the groove 14 of the roller 2 when the arm 7 pivots upon thread breakage and pushes arm 11 off its support on horizontal arm 32.

Another form of take-off device (Fig. 4) includes a pair of parallel friction rollers 22 and 23 between which the thread 1 is frictionally engaged and fed from the supply cop to the winding bobbin. The lower roller 22 is a drive roller rotatably driven by a drive shaft 24, and the upper roller 23 is a pressure roller rotatably mounted on a pivot arm 25. The pressure roller 23 is urged by gravity to an operative position in frictional engagement with the drive roller 22.

When thread breakage occurs, the thread feeler 7 swings to position B and actuates or trips a lever-actuating means or lifting means which lifts the pivot arm 25, raising the pressure roller 23 to an inoperative position and stopping further take off of the thread. The lifting means may be, for example, a cord 29 tied to the pivot arm 25, said cord passing through an overhanging pulley 28 and having a weight 30 tied to its free end. During normal operation of the take-off device, the weight would be held in a suspended position on a narrow bracket 31. On thread breakage the weight 30 would be tipped from its suspended position by the tripping action of thread feeler 7 and in falling would pull the cord 29 lifting the pivot arm 25.

The motor circuits are shown in Fig. 6 wherein motor 5 is connected by a circuit including switches 10 and 21. Upon opening of either switch, by thread breakage and pivotal motion of feeler 7, or by attainment of the predetermined length of winding measured by counter 19, thereby operating the switch actuating means 20, switches 10 or 21, respectively, are opened-deenergizing the motor 5. The electrical circuit for motor 27 includes switch 21 whereby the motor is deenergized by opening of switch 21 upon attainment of the predetermined length of windmg.

The advantages of the invention are numerous. Wound bobbins of uniform thread length are produced with either fine threads or coarse threads. Conical bobbins as well as bobbins of other shapes may be used with equal uniformity of thread length. When a desired measured length of thread has been wound on the bobbin, the machine is stopped automatically. Thread breakage is kept to a minimum because the speed of rotation of the bobbin is controlled by the thread tension and because the take-off device and measuring counter are driven by a means other than the thread itself. If thread breakage should occur, the take-off of thread and rotation of the winding bobbin are stopped automatically.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a machine wherein thread is wound, having a supply cop and a Winding bobbin, the combination of a take-off device feeding the thread from the supply cop to the winding bobbin, said take-off device comprising a roller around which the thread is looped; a roller driving means drivingly connected to said roller by magnetic means, said roller having a braking means associated therewith; a bobbin driving means; and a thread feeler for maintaining thread tension between said roller and said bobbin, said thread feeler having a switch-actuating means for stopping said bobbin driving means and a leveractuating means for stopping said roller, said switch-actuating means and said lever-actuating means becoming respectively operatively associated with said bobbin driving means and said braking means on breakage of the thread between said take-off device and said bobbin.

2. In a machine wherein thread is wound, having a supply cop and a winding bobbin, the combination of a take-off device comprising a pair of parallel friction rollers for frictionally engaging and feeding thread therebetween from said cop to said bobbin, the first of said rollers being a drive roller rotatably mounted on a drive shaft, the second of said rollers being a pressure roller rotatably mounted on a pivot arm above said drive roller, said pressure roller being urged by gravity to an operative position in frictional engagement with said drive roller, said pressure roller being raisable to an inoperative position; a bobbin driving means; a pivotal thread feeler urged by gravity to an operative position against the thread between said cop and said bobbin and urged by gravity to a further, inoperative position in case of thread breakage; a switch for stopping said bobbin driving means,

said thread feeler actuating said switch on pivoting to the inoperative poistion; and a lifting means operatively associated with said pivot arm to raise said pressure roller to the inoperative position, said thread feeler actuating said lifting means when said thread feeler pivots to the thread feeler inoperative position.

3. In a machine wherein thread is wound, a take-off device for feeding thread from a supply cop to a winding bobbin, said take-off device comprising a rotatably mounted roller around which the thread is looped, said roller having an encircling groove adapted to receive a braking element therein, said roller having a gear fixed thereto; a revolution counter having a gear fixed to the rotating mechanism thereof, the gear on said roller drivingly engaging the gear on said counter, said counter having a means to actuate a switch on reaching a predetermined count; and a drive shaft coextensive with said roller and operatively coupled thereto by magnets.

4. In a machine wherein thread is wound, the combination of a supply cop; a winding bobbin; a take-off device feeding the thread from said cop to said bobbin; a driving means drivingly associated with said take-off device; a controllable-speed driving means drivingly associated with said bobbin, said controllable-speed driving means comprising a driving means, a thread feeler for hearing on the thread running between said take-0E device and said bobbin, and a speed regulator operatively associated with the thread feeler and with the driving means so as to maintain a nearly constant thread tension by varying the speed of the driving means; a measuring device operatively associated with said takeoff device for measuring the length of the passing thread; and a switch-actuating means operatively associated with said measuring device for automatically stopping the driving means for said take-off device and said bobbin when said measuring device has measured a predetermined length of thread.

5. In a machine wherein thread is wound, the combination of a supply cop; a winding bobbin; a take-off roller for feeding the thread from said cop to said bobbin; a driving means drivingly associated with said take-off roller; a controllable-speed driving means drivingly associated with said bobbin, said controllable-speed driving means comprising a driving means, a thread feeler for hearing on the thread running between said take-01f device and said bobbin, and a speed regulator operatively associated with the thread feeler and with the driving means so as to maintain a nearly constant thread tension for varying the speed of the driving means; switchactuating means operatively associated with said thread feeler for stopping the driving means for the bobbin and lever-actuating means operatively associated with said thread feeler for stopping rotation of the take-01f roller, said switch-actuating means and said lever-actuating means becoming respectively operatively associated with said driving means for the bobbin and said take-01f device upon breakage of the thread running between said take-off device and said bobbin.

6. In a thread-winding machine, a winding bobbin; a thread take-off roller adapted to take off thread from a supply source, said take-off roller comprising at least one rotatably mounted driven roller over which the thread passes in frictional contact therewith; a gear operatively associated for rotation with said roller; a revolution counter having a gear fixed to a rotating mechanism of said counter, said gear on said counter drivingly engaging said gear operatively associated with said roller; driving means operatively associated with said winding bobbin and said take-off roller for rotation thereof, switch means for operatively activating and deactivating said driving means; and means operatively associated with said counter to move said switch to a deactivated position when said counter has reached a predetermined count.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,609,548 Hussey Dec. 7, 1926 1,732,592 Cannon Oct. 22, 1929 1,868,663 Johnson July 26, 1932 2,048,787 Elvin et al. July 28, 1936 2,089,193 Dreyfus Aug. 10, 1937 2,104,809 ODowd Jan. 11, 1938 2,454,405 Powell Nov. 23, 1948 2,509,250 Roberts May 30, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 718,860 France Nov. 13, 1931 

